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Pope Francis once said that Christians must have “cheerful faces and eyes full of joy”. But there was little evidence of those emotions as Donald Trump descended on the Vatican on Wednesday for his first face-to-face meeting with the Argentinian pontiff.
The encounter was ultimately considered a success following a rocky start to the pair’s relationship last year, when Francis questioned Trump’s Christian credentials. But despite a warm trading of gifts and humorous exchange between Pope Francis and the first lady, Melania Trump – in which the pope asked if she fed him a popular kind of Slovenian cake – the meeting was noteworthy for its sombre tone at the start.
Greeting the US president in the papal library, Francis did not exude his usual warmth and cheerfulness even as Trump proclaimed that it was a “great honour” to meet him.
Photographs taken after their meeting showed a glum-looking pope, in contrast to the smiles when Francis met Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, who reportedly used to carry a rosary with him that was given to him by the pontiff.
Commonality of Christianity
The tensions were perhaps to be expected: the two disagree on the issues that lie closest to Francis’s heart, from climate change to the need to integrate and accept migrants of all faiths.
As they sat down opposite one another at a large wooden desk, Francis signalled to the president that it was best to talk out of the earshot of reporters and cameras, who were quickly led out of the papal library. The two then had a 29-minute chat with only the interpreter present, not quite as long as the nearly hour-long conversation the pope had with Obama when they met in 2014.
“Obviously there was no evidence of the great chemistry he had with Obama. There was something special there with him,” said Austen Ivereigh, the pope’s biographer.
“I think it was a solemn occasion that called for formality and protocol and both demonstrated that … they looked much more relaxed at the end,” he added.
Francis greets Trump. Photograph: AFP/Getty
The discussion was described as cordial in a statement by the Holy See, which said “satisfaction was expressed” for the good US relationship with the Vatican and their “joint commitment in favour of life, and freedom of worship and conscience”.
“It is hoped that there may be serene collaboration between the state and the Catholic church in the United States, engaged in service to the people in the fields of healthcare, education and assistance to immigrants,” the statement said.
Left unsaid was the fact that the Trump administration’s policies on migrants have been condemned by Francis’s allies in the US, including Joe Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, New Jersey.
They also discussed world affairs, including interfaith dialogue and peace in the Middle East, with emphasis on the protection of Christians.
